Apparatus for purifying and regulating water.



PATENTED- JUNE 1 2 J. W; GAMBLE.

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND RBGULATING WATER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18.19Q5.

I Y J Inventor:

Atty To all whOnt'i t mdy concern: I

1 UNITED STATES H P TENT-O FICE.

JOSEPH; WILLARD GAMBLE, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH s. LOVERING wnARroN. WILLIAM s. HALLOWELL, AND JOHN C. JONES, DOING BUsINEss'As HAR- RISON. SAFETY BOILER WORKS,

SYLVANIA, A FIRM.

f Applicatibnfiled a riliaieos. sainrazsazea Be it known that I, J osErrI WILLARD GAM- BLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of and whose postoffice address is Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new-and'us'eful Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying and Regulating Water,-

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto improvements in apparatus forheatin'g, purifying, and regulating a supply of liquid, but especially to the treatment of water, and more especially to theinstances where chemical solution'ls sup-- plied to the water, which is subsequently filtered and adapted' for feeding boilers orlother similar purpose.

The objects of my invention are especially, first, to provide means for insuring an ample supplyof heated and treated feed-water irre spective, of the condition of the filter; second, to provide means simple, positive, ,efficient,

' and automatic in operation.

precipitation offim ii Where chemical solution is supplied to feed-water in a heater, there is a consequent rities, which fall to the bottom of the tan and may be; removed when. necessary. Moreover, the rapidity 4 as it-would be were there no obstruction and with which this precipitation is accomplished varies according to, the temperature of the water. These impurities, however, finally choke or reduce the efiectiveness of the. fil- 'ter'. Whenthis occurs, of course theefficient operation of the whole system is seriously aflected or is at a standstill, thus rendering inadequate the ultimate supply available for use, and it becomes necessary to se cure an increased supply of water for the pump or other distributing means evenif such supply be. not so thoroughly prepared the apparatus operating at its usual capacity and performing its functions in-the usual manner and sequence. It is important nevertheless that the necessary increment shall be both heated and so far as possible purified by the chemical treatment even if the precipitation has not been entirely removed by the filter.- Therefore instead of relying upon the originalcold-water supply for theincrement I take it from the heater and puri- OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN:

A ND REGULATINQ WATER;

Patented June 12, 1906.

her at some point in the circulation before or' in'front of the filter, and sincethe lowerstrata have been given more time for the precipitation and agglomeraton of the impurities I place upon or over the tank B, containing the filter, because of the economy of space and compactness of operating means thus attained,'though I'do not limit myself to that location, since it is not necessary to the operationof the apparatus that it shall be in one integral structure or particular arrangement or form.'

The tank B contains a filter-bed 15 .and is provided with man and hand holes 18 19 for cleaning and the usual pipes for flushing and withdrawing "waste, (the latter not here and because they are well known in the art and common to such devices and are not parts of my invention.)

1 is the exhaust-pipe from engine or other source of steam-supply to the system. 2 is a separator. 3 is the outlet-pipe from heater to atmos here. 4 is the cold-water feed; 5, the supp y-pipe for a chemical solution or reagent such as is generally used for the pur pose of formin with the impurities inthe water, an insofiuble precipitate, as is well known. 6isa valve in the eold-watensupply pipe operated automatically through intermediate mechanism by the float 8, rising as the water-level in the system rises or falls,

shown to avoid complicating the drawings refer to draw on them for my increment.

Figs. Zand 3 show modifi- .1 cations ofmy invention, also partly secti on. v In-Fig. 1, A is the heater, which I prefer to Ioo and falling in the float-chamber 7 according all dependent upon the amount withdrawn l Owing to the clicking of the filter, the waterfrom the same for utilization. 9 is the vent for the float-chamber; 10, the water-trays in the heater shown through an open manhole. All of these features being 01.1,1 will not pa1'ticula" y describe them further than I havedone to make clear the advantage and operation of my improvement as follows:

11 is a hood @or shield forming a chamber. open at the bottom and so placed that this ening shall be comparatively close tothe fi ter, or, inothcr words, in that stratum of the treated water which has been longest subjected to treatment.

and in all figures the plugs 20, which permit .lhe by-pa'ss pipes to be examined, cleaned,

In Fig. 3, 25 is the inlet to the bypass. 24'

i is a spring or otherwise loaded check-valve placed, preferably, in the lower run of the bypass. e

The operation ofthe device is as follows: Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the cold-water feed enters through 4 in amountdetermined by height of. water-line and regulated by fioat 8, operating valve 6, which float may be so adjusted as to establish any desired waterline either before or .during the operation. A suitable amount of chemical reagent enters feed-water at 5 and mixes therewith. Then falling into trays the mixture is heated by the exhauststcam entering through 2, all of which is well known in the art and need not be more particularly described.

heated and chemically-treated water now gradually loses the impurities previously held in suspension by precipitation. As this process requires some time, of course the water that has been-longest subjected to the. treatment willgenerally contain the least impurities, since it has been given the most time for the precipitation and the agglomerathrong i the li tionof the impurities. This is naturally the casewfith the lower strata. Normally the water asses 1progressively and continuously ter into the passage 01' chamber 14 and so out through 16; but, as has been said, when the filter becomes clogged by the precipitates the su ply of treated water passing through the ilter may be so din'iinislied that the uantitydrawni from the filter and through tie outlet 16 is'far below the'normal capacity of the apparatus and is entirely inadequate for the needs of the users. In such event the by-pass system 1-1 12 13 may be called into play as follows:

In Fig. 2 I have also The around the filter to make up the deficiency caused by its choking, and since I preferably take this increment from the lower portion or water I retain the advantage of all the treatmeut except the final one of complete filtra tion. This operation may be manually regulated by the adjustment of the float 8, as above stated, and also by the regulatingvalve 17. (See Fig.2.) r v Referring now to Fig. 3, in order to render the system still more automatic and reliable it is sometimes desirable to place a resistance in the by-pass so that the filter is normally the line of least resistance, thus insuring the circulation through the filter at alLtime's except when obstructed, and thus the by-pass will not be i-n to operate until thisobstruction of the ilter occurs and, moreover, insur ing theresumption ofiinterruptedcirculation through the filter and consequent cutting oil ofby-pass as soon as the obstruction is removed. One way of accomplishing this is to place a spring-loaded swing check-valve or an equivalent device in the lower run of the.by-' pass. In the arrangementshown in Fig. 3, 24 is thisresistance, s ecifically in this instance a swinging ,weightoaded check-valve. The operation of this modification is as follows: The inlet 25 is habitually submerged, and if, with the head available,a suflici'ent su ply passes through the filter-bed then all 0' the supply is taken from this source because of the obstruction to flow throughthe by-pass caused by the loaded valve 24 or other form of resistance. be taken in this manner because of the obstruction or-res'istance of'the filter-bed, then the withdrawalof -water from the part of the tank beyond the'filter-bed tends to decrease or overcome the resistance in the by bass, or, g

tomatically opens and a supplybeginsto'p'ass around the filter-bed suflicientLto-make up If, however, suflicient cannot.

the difierence between the quantity passing through thefilter-bed and the totalquantity required. Of course it will beunderstood that the resistance caused by the checkvalve may be varied at will by changing the adjust'ment or load ofthe check-valve. I v

may also add the reguating-valve 17-. (Shownin Fig. 2.)

It is evident that myimprovementisnot limited to its application in any. articular kind ofwater-heater as the oneil us'trated;

nor is it confined to use a heater and puri-' fier, as' it might be equally applicable in a heater alone or ,a purifier alone; nor do I limit myself to any particular purpose for or .process of heatingi orpurify ing, nor'to any particular design, form, or arrangement of parts. ,Moreover,. I;,do.not limit myself to the purification of any particular liquid, as water, since my invention i e-applicable to. the purification and regulation of any li uid and is so intended; nor do I limitmyse to any particular form of resistance, asa spring- Where I'have used the words varying inversely as the quantity passin throughthe filter, or words to that efiect,

, do not mean that thei'quantity in actual measurement which passes through the by-pass varies inverselyas the actual uantity passing through v r the filter in any fixe ratio, as three partsto one part, or other fixed-pro ortion;-but' I meanthat the flow through t e by-pass increases or diminishes in quantity inversely as the fiow throughthe filter increases or di- I Letters Patent, is- '35 minishes 7 What Ido' claim, and desire to protect by 1.1-A filter;- "and a assage about the same opening into -the"o'ut et from the filter, .and'.

. opening intothe ou creases.

containing an, obstruction' ada ted to be overcome as the resistance of t e filter in and a 2'.- A filter; passage about the same et from the filter, and

' containing a loaded valve normally closed,

but adapted to open when the resistance. of the filter'equals its own load. I r

3.-\A filter; and a assage about the same opening into the out et' from the filter; and

containing a resistance adapted to be automatically overcome or renewed as the resist- V ance of the filter increases or diminishes.

4. jA'filter; and a by-pass about the same opening into the outlet from the filter, and having a resistance therein greater than the normal resistance of the filter, adapted to be automatically overcome and establishedaccordingas the resistance'of thefilter exceeds or falls below itself.

opening into the outlet from the filter,' and having an adjustable resistance therein, adapted to be overcome as the "resistance of the filter increases.

6. The combination of a heater; a filter; and a conduit having its inlet covered b a 7. The combination of a heater; 'a filter;

and ajcOnduit vented-atthe top and opening above and near the filter-bed, and having an outletopening into the outlet of the heater, and provided With a resistance greater than the normal resistance of thefilter-bed.

i 9; The combination ofa water-heater; a

8. The combination of a water-purifier; a T

chemical feeder; a filter; and means 'for automatically -su plementing the outflow through the filter y an increment of chemically-treated water taken froma point near the filter and increasing in uantity accord ing as the resistance of the fi ter increases.

10. The combination of a heater; a chemf ical-supply; a filter; and a'by-pass' around the filter. to" the outlet thereoi, containing a resistance adapted to be automatically overcome as the resistance of the filter increases.

11. The combination of a water-heater; a chemical-supply; a filter; and -means. for automatically supplementing the outfiow through the filter by an increment of chemically-treated water, varyi' n%l1nversely as the supply assing through the ter.

12. The combination ofa heater; a chemclosed hood vented at the top covering the inlet and opening below the water-line near ical supply; afilter; a'conduit having an inroo the filter-bed,- the outlet to the conduit openinginto the outlet of theheater.-

13. The combination of'a heater; a chemical-su ply; a filter;a conduit having a closed liood vented at the top covering the .inlet .to the conduit, and opening below the 1 water-line near the filter-bed, and a loaded valve having a resistance greater than the normalresistance ofthe filter. I 14; The. combination of a heater; a chemical supply and feeder; a filter; and means for automatically supplementingthe outflow from the filter by an increment of chemic ally-treated but unfiltered-water.

15.. The combination of a chemical'water purifier and heater; a horizontal filter; and means for automatically and adjustably sup- "plementing the outflow from the filter with n increment of chemically-treated but unfiltered water. I

16. The combination ofa filter and a submerged by-pass about the filter containing a resistance. r "17. The combination of a filter, a submerged by-pass about the filter containing a resistance adapted to be overcome as the resistance of the filter increases hood vented at the top and o' eningbe ow the water-line nearthe filter-bed, and having IIO merged'by-pass about the filter, and means adapted to operate automatically when, the for automatically regulating the flow through Water-level is above the normal. M the by-pass. Signed at Philadelphia, in the county 0 19. The combination of a filter, a sub- Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, this 5 merged by-pass about the filter and means 14th day ofApril, A. D. 1905.

von the by-pass for automatically regulating JOSEPH WILLARD GAMBLE the How through the by-pass. I 20. The combination of a filter, means for Witnesses:

regulating the su ply of Water to. the filter, ROBERT JOHNS, o and a submerge hy-pass about the filter 1 ROBERT G. CLIFTON. 

